Many tourists who come to Spain on vacation prefer to rent a car immediately upon arrival at the airport in order to make their vacation more complete and convenient. There are also those who come to this country quite remote from Eastern Europe in their cars. It is important for everyone to know the nuances Spanish highways that you may encounter while traveling in this country by car.
This article on the types of highways, Spanish toll roads and how to use them, I am starting a series of articles that will hopefully make the use of Spanish roads simple and convenient for auto travelers. So:
Motorways in Spain
Motorways in Spain are of two types − autovia and For both, if there are no signs of restriction, the maximum permitted speed is 120 km / h. By the way, the speed limit sign 120 is met with enviable regularity, so it will be difficult to forget about the speed limit even with a strong desire.
There are several differences between these two types of Spanish highways, but one thing is important for us - the road of the type "autovia" is free to travel, "autopista" is paid. Both are indicated by signs on a blue background, but the toll road next to its designation will definitely have the “Peaje” icon, a white circle with a red rim and a black horizontal stripe inside (pictured right).
And here is how it looks on large pointers:
As you can see, for travel to Madrid, you can choose both the toll motorway AP34 and the free A31. And here the exit to the right from the toll highway also leads to the toll road. And here and there, on the side of the designation, there is a paid icon.
By the way, the quality of coverage on all highways in Spain, both paid and free, is beyond praise. I was especially struck by how slower the tires wear out - I have already driven more than 80 thousand on my Renault Megane, and the tread height margin is even more than sufficient. In Russia, the mileage figures on one set of tires were much more modest.
How to pay for toll roads in Spain
The system of payment for travel on toll roads in Spain is quite simple and understandable. Usually, it is worth driving through the paid section once, and in the future there will be no problems. But there are still a couple of pitfalls here. I will try to write more about them.
So, having decided to take the toll road, you must pass through the entrance terminal. Everything is very simple here, drive up to any of the terminals, above which a green traffic light or a green arrow is on, stop in front of a lowered barrier. To your left is a terminal in the form of a metallic yellow cabinet. There is no need to press anywhere - literally in a couple of seconds a ticket pops up from the terminal, which you need to take (pictured on the right). The barrier opens, and, forward, you can go to the photo - the appearance of the entrance terminal to the toll highway).
The ticket must be kept - the place of entry to the toll road is fixed on it. Based on this, the amount of payment will be calculated. If you lose your ticket, it will be considered that you are driving from the very beginning of the road. While everything is very simple, the only difficulty may arise when exiting the toll Spanish motorway. Let's analyze this moment in more detail.
So, having left the toll road following the sign to the desired direction (or on the advice of the navigator), after a few hundred meters you will see a large terminal for paying the fare:
First of all, we pay attention to the color of the traffic light or the arrow above the terminal - if it is red, as above the photo above, above the leftmost one, then this terminal is temporarily closed, you don’t need to go there.
The next point is that many cars in Spain are equipped with a system for remote payment, special terminals are equipped for them, through which they pass without stopping (the barrier rises automatically, having received a signal from a device installed on the front glass). Terminals for these cars can be of two types - exclusively for them (in this case, the white letter "T" is located in a blue circle), you cannot pass through it without a device, and general (indicated by the same letter "T", but already in a blue square ), in which case you can use this terminal to exit.
And the last important point is the payment method. There are separate passages for payment exclusively by bank cards (see the photo above), it will not be possible to pay in cash. There are universal machines (on the same photo), you can pay in them both in cash and with a bank card. Let's take a look at the payment process as an example. We drive up, stop near the machine. The slot where to insert the ticket is highlighted in red. Insert the green arrow up, as in the photo:
Immediately on the monitor appears the amount due:
Now you can reach into your wallet for cash or a credit card:
We pick up the change below, if you paid in cash, the barrier opens, and "Happy journey" from the terminal:
And in conclusion, a few words about the simplest payment method - manual with the help of an operator. If you see a large sign at the top with the word MANUAL, and under it there is a booth, which means that at this payment point there is also an operator to whom you can simply give a ticket and pay in cash or by card. In recent years, this payment method is not available at every exit from the motorway, so it is better to be prepared for the fact that you will have to deal exclusively with technology.
As a rule, that you are entering a toll section of the road, you are informed by a road sign or an electronic scoreboard, which also indicates how many kilometers or minutes on the road a toll station with a barrier awaits you.
Payment Methods:
Cash (coins and banknotes);
credit cards. The toll highway system supports the latest advances in electronic payment security, such as online transaction verification and EMV (chip card);
Telepeaje is a modern payment system that allows you to pay for a toll road without stopping in front of a barrier, thus not wasting a minute of your time. Today, telepeaje technology is installed on all highways in Spain and many paid parking lots. A special antenna reads data from a mobile device installed on the dashboard of a car and automatically debits funds from a bank card or account attached to the account of a specific device.
At a gas station
As a rule, all Spanish highways, paid and free, have convenient areas for relaxing, washing and refueling a car. A gas station can be a whole complex consisting of a restaurant, a store with local products, and an automatic car wash.
To refuel the car, you need to pay for the number of liters of fuel you need at the cash desk, naming the column number, and then return to the car and insert the gun. Most of the Spanish gas stations operate in a self-service system. In 2016, the well-known network Repsol launched a mobile application with which you can pay at 300 gas stations in Spain. To do this, you need to install the application on your mobile device, enter personal data and information about the card or bank account. In the near future, other companies plan to switch to similar types of payment, which will make the process of refueling a car more comfortable and faster.
Once you have reached the right place, the question arises of parking the car. This topic is especially relevant in connection with the constant increase in fines for non-compliance with parking rules. As we noted earlier, in many Spanish parking lots, payment can be made using telepeaje technology using a mobile device. But this applies most often to large closed parking lots, underground or on the territory of shopping centers, where payment machines are also installed at the entrances and exits.
If you park on the streets, always pay attention to the color of the road markings. The White Zone is free, and such parking spaces, which are very limited, can be found in areas far from the center. In popular tourist areas, you can often find a blue parking zone, which you need to pay at special machines located directly on the street. A coupon with the date and time of payment is left on the dashboard.
It is important to remember that the maximum parking time in the blue zone is from 1 to 4 hours, depending on the area. "Blue parking" is paid on weekdays from 9:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, on Saturday - from 9:00 to 14:00. The cost of such city parking depends on the workload of the area. There are 4 main tariffs:
- tariff A - 2.5 euros / hour;
- tariff B - 2.25 euros / hour;
- tariff C – 1.96 euros/hour;
- tariff D - 1.08 euros / hour.
In addition to white and blue, there are orange and green zones, which provide special benefits to residents of the area. For the possibility of reduced or free parking, you must have an official residence permit. Be careful, as some areas are reserved strictly for parking cars of local residents.
Do not forget that when refueling a vehicle, your mobile phone must be turned off.
Traffic rules in Spain
Most Spanish roads are equipped with cameras that record the speed of cars passing by and transmit data to the nearest police station. If you violate the speed limit, a police officer will stop you and punish you financially. To avoid further trouble, it is worth paying this fine.
The use of dipped headlights during the day is required only in tunnels. The use of anti-radar in Spain is strictly prohibited. For this violation, a colossal fine of 6,000 euros is imposed.
When renting a car, you need to make sure that it has two warning triangles, a spare tire and a vest with reflective stripes.
In Spain, drivers are strictly enforced to use seat belts, and special restraints are purchased for children. You can only drive and talk on the phone at the same time using the speakerphone. If you do not follow this rule, your wallet will be seriously affected.
Fines in Spain
Violating the rules of the road in Spain will inevitably lead to the fact that you will have to pay a fine in an amount depending on the severity of the offense committed. For example, speeding in Spain is classified as a serious violation, especially if the speed is exceeded by more than 50% of the set speed. In this case, the penalty notice may come by mail. In this case, the fine receipt received from the policeman must be paid on the spot. This is a mandatory condition for foreign citizens. The advantage is that there is a 50% discount for paying on the spot.
- Exceeding the speed limit by more than 30 km / h - from 100 to 600 euros
- Travel to the red traffic light - 200-300 euros.
- Neglect of seat belts - 200 euros.
- Phone call - 200 euros.
- Departure to the oncoming lane - from 400 to 500 euros.
- Drunk driving - from 500 euros.
Most small towns in Spain have traffic lights that are controlled by radar. If you exceed the speed limit, the traffic light will automatically turn red.
Payment of fines in Spain via the Internet
If the fine was summoned by mail, then you can also pay the fine online using a credit card from any of the major payment systems, such as Maestro or Visa. To do this, you must activate the option on your computer browser that allows you to accept cookies. Detailed instructions for paying fines issued in Spain via the Internet can be found.
Surprisingly, in Spain there are conditions under which, when paying fines, you will receive a certain discount. For example, if you hurry up and make payment within 15 days from the moment the offense was established, the amount of the fine can be reduced by 50%. True, taking advantage of such a discount and paying a smaller amount, you thereby lose the right to appeal the offense in an administrative proceeding.
Toll roads in Spain
To use toll roads, the tourist will have to fork out a little. The amount of payment directly depends on the distance. You can pay for the service with a plastic card or in cash.
On such roads, there are special lanes at the entrance and exit from them, which are indicated by a blue circle with white lines in a square. These lanes are intended for local residents who have a car with an automatic toll device on such a road. The fare from January 2019 on some roads in Spain has been increased.
Tariffs for travel on the main toll roads in Spain can be viewed.
In addition to toll roads, there are toll tunnels near Barcelona:
- Cadi (length 5 kilometers): motor vehicles - 9.83 euros, cars - 12.08 euros, trucks and cars with a trailer - 26.36 euros.
- Vallvidrera (length 2.5 kilometers): during rush hour - motorcycles - 3.38 euros, cars - 3.34 euros; off-peak hours - motorcycles €3.01, cars €3.86.
Parking in Spain
Basic moments
In the heart of major Spanish cities, it is always difficult to find a free parking space, especially a free one. The area marked in blue means that the car must be paid for at a nearby machine. In some places, it is generally forbidden to park during the daytime on weekdays without a special document.
Underground car parks at the entrance have information about free places or about their complete absence. At the exit from this kind of parking there is a cash desk for payment.
Some Spanish cities have the Ora Zona system. It allows you to purchase a parking ticket in a small supermarket or stall, which will allow you to park your car for a short time from half an hour to 90 minutes.
It is forbidden to leave the car on the sidewalk with a yellow stripe or Vado sign.
Despite the fact that everything looks very complicated, it will not be difficult to park correctly in Spain if you study the issue in advance and familiarize yourself with certain rules that are in many ways similar to Russian traffic rules. The main of these rules is that parking is allowed only in specially designated areas. At the same time, it is important to note the fact that the observance of this rule is closely monitored not only by the police, but also by local residents. Therefore, there is no need to take risks and rely on luck when parking near a house that has a no-parking sign. The owner of the house will not turn a blind eye to this and will definitely call a tow truck.
Of course, as with any rule, there are exceptions. For example, during a football match, the police will not issue a fine if you leave the car not far from the stadium. In other cases, when faced with difficulties in finding a parking space, you should not take risks and break the law - look for paid parking.
There are enough paid parking lots in Spain and it will not be difficult to find them. There are both underground and surface parking.
Underground parking in Spain
Underground paid parking in shopping centers
Often, any shopping center in Spain has paid parking. However, you can use parking absolutely free of charge - almost all major commercial centers provide this opportunity, subject to certain conditions. For example, if you visit a shopping center during the so-called "free parking hours" (usually siesta time), then there is no charge for parking your car in the parking lot. Moreover, it is possible to extend this time by simply shopping for a certain amount.
Along with large shopping centers, there is the possibility of free parking in regular grocery stores. To do this, you only need to present a parking ticket to the cashier when you pay for your purchases.
Public underground paid parking
In the cities of Spain, public parking is indicated by a special symbol "P" (Parking publico). Such parking lots are usually located in residential and office buildings, and despite the fact that they are called public, it will not be possible to park on them for free. Public parking is a private property, so the cost of services, however, as well as the opening hours, may vary and depend on the owner of a particular parking lot. This can be a round-the-clock mode, or a more abbreviated version, for example, until eight o'clock in the evening.
Before using the public parking service, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the conditions of its work in advance. And you should start by studying the information that is indicated on the scoreboard located directly under the pointer. If the word “ocupado” is lit on the scoreboard, then all the places are occupied, otherwise you will see the word “libre” - there are empty seats.
Another feature of Spanish underground parking lots is the possibility to rent a parking space for a long time. When choosing a free seat, pay attention to whether the empty seat is marked with the designation "plaza reservada" or a more abbreviated version - "reservado". This means that the marked place is reserved for a long time and you cannot park here.
Surface paid parking
In Spain, paid surface parking areas are usually marked with different colors.
blue zone
This parking zone is the most common option. In Spanish, it is called "zona azul" and is indicated by a special blue dotted line drawn on the roadway, as well as an icon in the form of a picture that shows a hand dropping a coin. Pay attention to the difference in the payment system. Unlike underground parking lots, payment is made not upon leaving, but immediately after you have parked. For the convenience of paying in the blue zone, there are special parking meters designed to pay for parking depending on the time you need. The ticket received at the parking meter must be placed in a clearly visible place under the windshield. The presence of such a coupon is vigilantly monitored by employees of the blue zone. And don't forget to extend your parking time if it has expired and leave your extra time ticket in the same visible place. A careless attitude to timely payment can lead to undesirable consequences - you can be fined, and the car can be taken to a car impound.
The blue parking zone in Spain is designed specifically to prevent large accumulations of cars left on the streets, and therefore, it is not customary to consider it as a place for long-term parking. That is why you will not be able to purchase a parking ticket for several hours at once. The maximum number of hours for one payment is no more than two hours.
It should be noted that paid parking can significantly hit your pocket, because the average price for 1 hour is from 1 to 3 euros. But there are also positive aspects - on weekends, as well as at night, payment for the parking service in the blue zone is not provided.
Paid parking hours may vary depending on which city you are in, details are always on the sign. Basically, you will have to pay for parking:
- from 9:00 to 16:00, and from 16:00 to 20:00 on weekdays,
- from 9:00 to 14:00 - on Saturday.
The coastal zone has its own characteristics. In winter, parking in the blue zone can be used free of charge, but in summer the paid parking time can be increased, so we recommend that you find out about these features in advance.
Orange or green zone
These zones are designed for parking under special conditions, and you can find it in almost any major city in Spain. In fact, here we are dealing with the same blue zone, but it is such only for those who are not lucky enough to live in the neighborhood. Car owners who live nearby can enjoy a number of benefits, from discounted parking rates to the ability to leave the car for a long period (from a week to 3 months).
For other car owners, the rules for parking, as well as payments, will not differ much from the blue zone. You can pay for parking at a time with a time limit (up to 2 hours), in addition, you can use the parking only on the set days of the week. Most often these are weekdays, with rare exceptions, when you can park on Saturday. Parking time is from 8:00 to 20:00.
What is the difference between orange and green zone? There are no differences in the purpose of the zone itself. It's just that in some cities the zones are designated differently. For example, in green ("zona verde") the zone is designated in Madrid and Barcelona, and in Zaragoza and Valencia, the same zone will be indicated already in orange, and be called "zona naranja".
Recall that only car owners with a resident card can use the privileges of this parking lot. At the same time, there must be a registration in this place.
Special parking zones
In addition to public parking areas, there are specialized parking areas, access to which is significantly limited, as well as areas where parking is generally not allowed. These areas include the following categories.
Residents zone - designated by the icon "zona residentes" and is intended exclusively for parking cars owned by residents living nearby.
The loading and unloading area is indicated by markings applied to the asphalt in the form of diagonal yellow lines. It is allowed to use it only for the purpose of loading or unloading at the strictly allotted time: from Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00. Moreover, there are also restrictions on the duration of parking - no more than 30 minutes. There is no charge for using this area.
No Parking. No matter what city you are in, the designation of such a zone will be the same. If a yellow continuous line is marked on the asphalt, it is better not to park in this area.
What to do if your car was towed in Spain
In most cases, the reason for this is a violation of the rules in force in the territory of this state. Before you park, be sure to pay attention to the warning signs about the prohibition of parking. Usually in Spain they are installed in areas:
Also be sure that you won't find your car if you park it on a double solid line or in a place where your car will interfere with other traffic or pedestrians.
Please note that towing services in Spain are by no means cheap and prices may vary depending on the city. Car towing in Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza will hurt your wallet the most. More “loyal” cities in this regard include Leon, Melilla and Jaen.
You broke the rules, but managed to arrive at the place before the car was loaded onto a tow truck? In part, you are lucky and there is a chance to negotiate with a service employee. If you are lucky, you can only get off with a verbal warning. Otherwise, you can’t do without paying a fine, just don’t forget to ask for a receipt for payment.
Is it possible to refuse to pay for towing services at all? It is possible, but in this case the car will remain in the impound lot and you will not be allowed to pick it up from there. So, as you can see, this is not an option, and, unfortunately, you will have to pay.
And one more nuance. The fact that you have unpaid fines will not be the basis for preventing the return of the car from the impound lot. You will be allowed to pick up the car, while requiring you to pay only the costs of the current evacuation.
Luck was not on your side and the car was evacuated after all? The first thing to do is call the Municipal Police Department. Here you can get information about the location of the penalty parking, from where you will have to pick up the car in the near future.
How to pick up a car from a parking lot in Spain?
The easiest way in this situation is for those who own the evacuated car. In this case, you will need to present a driver's license, as well as an identity document. In addition, you may be asked to show documents for the car.
Worst of all things will be if the car is not yours and the owner is another person. You will need to provide not only official permission for the right to use (power of attorney) from the owner of the car, but also his documents.
We also advise you not to aggravate the situation by making too insistent demands to return your car in case it was towed at the end of the working day and the impound is already closed. Be patient until the start of a new working day, because in this situation there are no “exception cases” provided.
Summing up: do not violate the established rules of the road, park your car only in the prescribed places, do not neglect the services of paid parking - and you can completely protect yourself from many unpleasant situations and unplanned expenses.
Today I will talk a little about toll roads in Spain, in particular in Andalusia and Catalonia. For tourists, they are not particularly needed, only if you need to get there quickly. The permissible speed on them is 120 km / h, but many drive 140. But you must admit, it’s more pleasant to ride along the sea, stop in different towns and viewing platforms than drive along a concrete fence for several hours in a row.
Most recently, we drove along the AP-7 toll road from to. We needed to get there in the morning for a hot air balloon ride, and another time not to be late for. Pleasure is not cheap! The road came out to about €9 and the same amount for petrol. I told how we rented a car.
Toll road payment procedure
Before entering the toll road, you will be warned several times and offered free detours. There are several payment options:
- You get a ticket when you enter, pay when you leave.
- You pay only when you leave or when you enter
You can pay in cash, with coins, or with a bank card (but be careful with it! More on that below)
Before the payment points, the road is divided into many lanes (see photo at the beginning):
- Blue lanes for automatic payment using devices under glass (not for us!)
- Payment only by cards (on the card plates)
- Payment by cards and cash
- Manual - payment through the operator, this is the easiest way :-)
Even in case of difficulty with payment, press the communication button and the operator will come to you and help you pay.
Be careful when paying by card!
I had a bad experience with payment. I think that's the case for everyone. When leaving the highway, I paid for the fare with a card. Removed about €7. Then a day later you receive an SMS about withdrawing €1 with the description: parking peaje Madrid. Then another day later, then another on arrival home! I haven't been to Madrid, so it's removed or blocked by the highway payment office.
For what? After all, I have already paid €7. Apparently for some reason they check the map after each trip on the toll road. They say that the blocked euros are returned in a month.
But I did not conduct experiments and blocked the Tinkoff card. The bank returned the money to me and reissued the card for free. Next time I will pay cash toll roads.
What do you think of these write-offs?
I do not advise you to count manually. The most convenient service for calculating route costs is this. The site is ugly, but very functional. It works all over Europe, maybe even more. You ask from where and where, and he offers several options for routes. Gives out how much you will spend on paying for the road, gasoline and how much you will be on the road. So you decide for yourself the best way time-money.
There is also a purely Spanish site -. There is more accurate data on payment of roads, but apart from the price it does not show anything.
Well, do not forget about the good old Google Maps. He is good at building routes between cities. In the options there is a checkbox to avoid toll roads.
How do I save on hotels?
Everything is very simple - look not only on booking.com. I prefer the RoomGuru search engine. He searches for discounts simultaneously on Booking and 70 other booking sites.
Toll roads in Spain in 2019.
All roads and sections of autobahns with the designation "AP" and "R" are paid, in addition, a number of tunnels and bridges are paid. The fares are among the highest in Europe - about 8 Euro per 100 km from a car.
Paid routes and their cost:
AR -2
Actual cost for each section of the road
Highway AR -4
Freeway AP-6
Freeway AP-7
More information about all roads
Payment is made directly on highways at specialized payment points.
It is better to enter the turnstile where Manual is written.
You can pay in cash and by credit card (Euro- or Mastercard, Visacard).
Free travel on the city autobahns and ring roads of Barcelona, Zaragoza, Madrid and Valencia, Girona and Tarragona.
The easiest way to travel around Europe is by high-speed, usually toll, roads. They allow you to quickly arrive from point A to point B and are designed for this. You will not particularly see any beauties and countries in general, but there are exceptions (for example, the A75 road in France, along which we returned from Spain). Diesel fuel on the highway in both France and Spain, as I said above, is about 1.6 - 1.65 euros per liter.
Toll roads cost about 7-8 euros per 100 km. Toll points are standard, both in France and in Spain. They are a bunch of gates on the track with barriers. In both of the above countries, the fee is taken for the distance traveled.
At the entrance to the toll road you get a ticket, at the exit from the toll road you pay the fare. The coupon "climbs" out of the machine automatically, the main thing is to take it and then the barrier will open. There are several ways to pay. You can pay by card, you can pay in cash, you can pay through a machine, you can pay a person.
The easiest way is to pay with a bank card (we don’t take into account the telepay system, in my opinion it’s called that, if I’m wrong, correct me). And so payment by card - drove up to the barrier, put the ticket into the machine (into the flashing slot), after that another slot will flash (sometimes the same one where the ticket was pushed), put the card in there, in a second the card pops up and the barrier opens, all the way is free, and the money has been withdrawn. If something does not work out, then in this case, operators are on duty at the payment point, and even if you do not press the help button, but stand at the closed barrier for a very long time, a person will definitely come up to you and help. Sometimes the machines break down, and then a person also comes and saves the world. In general, everything is simple and clear.
To understand which payment method to choose, look at the icons above the gate. There are clear icons. If you do not have a special "tele-page" card, do not go to the gate with a pictogram in the form of a capital Latin letter "t". Another feature of toll roads is in Spain. A couple of days after arriving in Roses and, accordingly, after driving along the toll Spanish highways, SMS began to arrive through the mobile bank system that I, in some Security, had made a successful purchase for 1 euro. At the same time, I did not make any purchases in this organization, especially using a card.
Having rummaged in the Internet, we learned that this is the security service of the organization serving the toll roads in Spain, they will check the authenticity of the credit card. In fact, money is not debited from the card, but only blocked on it. Money is blocked every time you pay a fare. The lock will be removed after a month. So if anyone comes across this, don't panic.
Read more about Spain
There are also some kind of local free autobahns (eg M-10 in Madrid, SE-30 in Seville, V-30 in Valencia, etc.).
Autobahns in the Canary Islands (Tenerife and Gran Canaria) are free.
The most expensive object for passage is the tunnel del Cadi - 11.67 euros.
Tunnel fare:
Tunnel del Cadi is a toll road tunnel located in the Catalan Prepyrenees (del Cadi mountain range). It unites the regions of Alt Bergueda and Cerdan. The tunnel was opened and put into operation on October 30, 1984. It ranks fourth in length in Spain and third in Catalonia, its length is 5026 meters. 
Vallvidrera tunnel are a set of five tunnels that cross the Sierra Collserola, which connects the city of Barcelona with Vallès Occidental. These tunnels were opened in 1991. The longest tunnel is called Vallvidriera, its length is 2517 meters.
Fares in 2019:
Click on photo
Here you can find out about the prices for travel on toll roads throughout Europe, click on the map on the country you are interested in and the table will show fare prices.
Today there are at least 28 countries in Europe that have toll roads:
